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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24850189">This Is Why You Don't Jump to Conclusions, Ben</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DottieSnark/pseuds/DottieSnark'>DottieSnark</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo has low self-esteem, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Instant Messenger, Light Angst, One Shot, Though idiot probably only applies to Ben, idiots to lovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:02:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,972</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24850189</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DottieSnark/pseuds/DottieSnark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When something evokes such a strong feeling of nostalgia how can you argue with it? Ben clicked on the album to download the photo as a background picture for his desktop. Instead, the next photo in the album opened. Staring back at him was Rey. In a wedding dress.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>120</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>A Rey by Any Other Name</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>This Is Why You Don't Jump to Conclusions, Ben</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/gifts">tmwillson3</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story was written for The Reylo Writing Den's A Rey by Any Name moodboard and ficlet event. Participants created their own moodboard and writers signed up for any moodboard to write a ficlet about. </p><p>This moodboard was created by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3">tmwillson3</a>. </p><p> </p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For most people, social media is about connecting with your loved ones even when you can't physically be with them. But not for Ben Solo. For Ben, social media was little more than a window into the lives of those who'd outgrown him, forgotten him, left him behind. Though due to his penchant for anti-social behavior they'd probably say he was the one who left them.</p><p>Every day at the start of his lunch break Ben found himself scrolling through various social media platforms on his computer while he ate a sandwich alone at his desk. It seemed everyone had something amazing going on in their lives to showcase to the world. Not Ben. The last thing he posted was three weeks ago, and that was a passive-aggressive rant at his parents.</p><p>He sighed and continued to scroll.</p><p>
  <strong>Finn Trooper (2 hrs ago): I need a second opinion on which photo is best.</strong>
</p><p>Below it was a photo of a field of flowers, denoting itself as the album cover for a photo collection.</p><p>Ben wasn't sure who Finn Trooper was, or how he wound up on Ben's friend list, but he couldn't look away from that field. Sunflowers. They were Rey's favorite flowers. And after a while, they became his favorite flowers too. He hadn't seen one since they stopped hanging out.</p><p>Again, Ben's fault. He should have kept in better touch with her after college.</p><p>When something evokes such a strong feeling of nostalgia how can you argue with it? Ben clicked on the album to download the photo as a background picture for his desktop. Instead, the next photo in the album opened. Staring back at him was Rey. In a wedding dress.</p><p>Looking at the picture felt like a punch to the stomach.</p><p>Rey was married. To Finn—whoever the Hell he was. And she hadn't even bothered to let Ben know. Sure, they weren't as close as they used to be, but did their friendship really mean that little? Once upon a time, it had meant the world to them. Or at least to Ben.</p><p>Ben and Rey had met in college, him a jaded senior, her a naive sophomore transfer. They met at a party where they both were drinking and one of them couldn't hold their liquor. It was Ben. He threw up on her shoes and then later found himself crying on the bathroom floor, his head in a toilet, telling her how his parents never loved him. After that, she wouldn't leave him alone. He tried to be annoyed with her, but she wore him down. And to be honest, it was nice to know someone cared.</p><p>"Ben has a girlfriend. Ben has a girlfriend," Poe, Ben's roommate, used to tease him whenever he caught the two hanging out in the dorm. At least Poe had the decency to wait until Rey left the room before he started. Which meant Rey never saw how Ben defended her honor through bombarding Poe with pillows and nerf darts.</p><p>"You're just jealous," Ben said once when Poe was being particularly annoying.</p><p>"More like thankful. Maybe now you won't be so angry. Besides, she's not my type."</p><p>Poe got a pillow to the head for that remark too. But he wasn't exactly wrong. Ever since he started hanging out with Rey he had been less angry…happier even.</p><p>She brought him flowers once a week, on Monday morning, along with two cups of java—a latte for her and a black, no sugar coffee for Ben, just the way he liked it. The bouquets were always a different arrangement and they were the only thing of color on his side of the room.</p><p>"What's this?" Ben asked the first time she brought them.</p><p>"Flowers," she said. "Thought it'd be a nice way to start off the week. I know how much you hate Mondays…and Tuesdays…and Wednesdays…and the entire school week."</p><p>"You don't bring guys flowers, Rey."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"Because that's what the guy is supposed to buy for the girl."</p><p>"Says who?" Rey never liked being told what she should or shouldn't do. She had a mind all her own. "Besides, no one's stopping you from buying me some too. I like sunflowers."</p><p>So, he bought her sunflowers. She put them in a vase next to her window and every time he walked past her dorm he found himself smiling.</p><p>That was three years ago. They lost touch after he graduated, though with social media no one ever really goes away anymore. There is always a status update, a photo upload, or a spammy IM from those annoying mobile games. There was always a way to get in touch.</p><p>So why didn't Rey tell him something this major had happened? Why had she kept this from him? And why would she use <em>their</em> flower for her wedding photos?'</p><p>Ben opened up the instant messenger and typed the following message:</p><p>Glad to know our friendship meant so little that you didn't even bother to tell me you were getting married</p><p>He stared at his words, knowing that was too harsh even for him and deleted the message without sending. It was rare that Ben ever gave his words a second thought, but on the rare occasions when he did think before he spoke he usually got way too hung up on them. He kept trying new openers, some nicer, some meaner but deleted them all. In the end, he opted for the simplest message in the world.</p><p>
  <strong>Ben Solo (12:03): Hey.</strong>
</p><p>Regret seeped in the moment he hit enter. It was pathetic. <em>He</em> was pathetic. What was he so upset about anyway? Despite all of Poe's teasing nothing romantic ever did develop between him and Rey. Then again, it would be a lie to say he never considered it. He was just always too nervous to make a move. What if asking her out cost them their friendship? It was better to have her as a friend than nothing</p><p>At least that was his logic in college. The way they drifted away after college made him wonder if it was the right decision. Maybe if he had asked her out they would have dated and stayed together, and she wouldn't be married to some schmuck named Finn.</p><p>After what felt like hours but was actually only twenty seconds the little ellipses that indicated a response appeared. Ben's heart thumped. He hadn't expected her to respond so quickly. He stared at the screen, unblinking, waiting. Minutes dragged on. Then the ellipses disappeared.</p><p>No! Whatever she was about to say she had deleted it. Ben wasn't worth a response. Maybe he had misvalued their friendship entirely. Maybe she was sitting there entirely creeped out by him. Maybe she had thought he was a creep the whole time and only put up with him for so long out a pity.</p><p>Finally, a new response appeared, and his heart leapt for joy.</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:06): Hi.</strong>
</p><p>It wasn't much but he hadn't exactly given her much to work with. How else was she supposed to respond to "hey"? The point was she did respond. She didn't hate him and wasn't ignoring him. That was something.</p><p>Ben typed up another message, this one asking about the photo, but then deleted that too. Was Rey now sitting in front of her computer watching his ellipses disappear and reappear too? Eventually, he settled on something simple again.</p><p>
  <strong>Ben Solo (12:09) How are you?"</strong>
</p><p>He slammed his head against his desk for continuing to be so pathetic. When he looked back up there was another message.</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:09): I'm good. How are you?</strong>
</p><p>His heart beat faster and faster. She had to know what he was fishing for, right? She had to know he saw her wedding pictures. Why else would he be messaging her out of the blue like this? So why was she beating around the bush? Why wouldn't she just come out and tell him? Was this a game? Well, he wasn't going to let Rey win. He'd drag it out of her and make her admit she was screwing with him.</p><p>
  <strong>Ben Solo (12:10): I'm great.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ben Solo (12:10): Just checking my timeline. Didn't see anything exciting at all. Hey, if I looked at your page, would I see something exciting?"</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:10): Nah, haven't really been up to much lately.</strong>
</p><p>"Seriously Rey?" he yelled at the computer monitor, then blushed. Luckily all of his coworkers were in the break room or went out to lunch. "Okay, enough with the games," he muttered to himself as he typed up his next response.</p><p>
  <strong>Ben Solo (12:11): I saw your wedding pictures.</strong>
</p><p>He hit send before he really thought about it. Regret seeped in instantly. What was he even trying to do, make her feel guilty about not telling him, or make her feel guilty about being married at all? He suspected it was the latter and he hated himself for that. This conversation wasn't going to do anything but convince her he was a complete psycho who was stalking her. Her next move would be to block him. Then he really would never have a chance with her.</p><p>What was he thinking? He already didn't have a chance. She was married.</p><p>A new message appeared. All it contained was the laughing emoji that had tears dripping down its face.</p><p>Fury rose in his chest. This was way worst than just a block. He was a laughingstock.</p><p>
  <strong>Ben Solo (12:12): You think this is funny?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson(12:12): Extremely.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ben Solo (12:13): Glad to know our friendship meant so little to you that you didn't even bother to tell me.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:13): BEN!</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:13): I didn't get married</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:13): Did you see Finn's pictures?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:13): It says he's our mutual friend</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:13): Those are from a photo-shoot I did with him</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:13): For his portfolio</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:13): Because he's a photographer</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:14): Also he's gay.</strong>
</p><p>Just then Ben remembered how he knew Finn. Sometime after college, before Ben had completely drifted away from his old friends, Poe had introduced Finn to Ben…as Poe's new boyfriend. Ben quickly checked Finn's profile and right there on the cover page was a photo of Finn and Poe kissing.</p><p>This all could have been avoided if Ben had just taken a second to investigate Finn's profile page.</p><p>
  <strong>Ben Solo (12:15): Oops!</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:15): Oops is right! Do you honestly think I wouldn't tell you if I got married?</strong>
</p><p>No, he didn't. Rey was better than him. She wasn't the one who drifted away. She would have reached out if there was news that big to tell. Maybe Ben needed to take a page out of her book and just reach out.</p><p>
  <strong>Ben Solo (12:16): Sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Ben Solo (12:16): Do you want to get a cup of coffee this weekend? Catch up?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:16): No.</strong>
</p><p>His heartfelt like it had just shattered. So that was it. She didn't feel the same way. She didn't even want to be friends anymore. At least he knew now. He could stop holding that torch for her and move on. He closed his browser. A few seconds later there was a ping on his phone. It was another message from Rey.</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:16): I will do it as a date, though.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Rey Johnson (12:17): That's what you were really intending to ask, right?</strong>
</p><p>Ben laughed. Leave it to Rey to one-up him.</p><p>
  <strong>Ben Solo (12:17): It's a date, then.</strong>
</p>
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